Basics Of Christianity:
If you had to define your faith with one sentence, what would your definition include?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
~Hebrews 11:1
Biblical faith means believing in the existence of God as Creator, Sovereign Lord, and our Savior, resulting in a lifestyle of worship, obedience, peace, and humble repentance. How about we break this down to a few in depth bullet points.
· God as Creator, Sovereign Lord, and Savior:
“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”
~Acts: 17:24-25
People need to understand who God is and where we stand in relation to him. God does exist and is the creator off all things. Because he has made us, we are now and always will be, totally dependent upon Him. God can do as He pleases and is in full control of the universe. God is holy, never sins, and is the KING of KINGS. God is worthy of all man’s worship. He always does what is right. God sees the bigger picture when we don’t his hand is upon everything. Overall God loves us. He wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He wants to save us and has provided the means of our salvation. Our universe operates on a very small and simple chart. God is the Creator, and we are his creatures. This means we belong to God, and whatever other created things given to us, also belong to him. We don't get to define how our life or the lives around us operate. Because God has designed life from the beginning. When we have true faith, we will never take life in our own hands. Faith will not allow us to treat people and possessions as if they belong to us. When we have faith we don’t believe that we are smarter than God. Real faith recognizes the structure of our universe, allowing us to obediently rest in God’s boundaries.
· Worship and Obedience:
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.”
~Psalm 128:1
The greatest journey of faith begins with the simplest step of obedience. God is honored and is worshiped when we obey Him. In obedience we are demonstrating our love for Him. Our true freedom comes from obedience and knowing what not to do as Christians. Because God sent His only Son to die in our place putting his own wants and wishes aside for our sake, the least we can do is start honoring Him by obeying what He requires of us. Walking in obedience to the Lord is an act of true worship. When we begin to follow God with joy and thankfulness, we begin to recognize that God has made a way for us to be in relationship with Him. Acknowledging God that He is worthy of our praise and our obedience. This is called becoming sanctified in Christ. When we begin to follow God, he starts a work in us, a desire to obey him as well as the power to do what will please him. In God's Word it constantly conveys the impossibility to separate the connection between obedience and worship. Jesus has restricted obedience to worship, as stated in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” Worshiping God affects every part of our lives. It is always scary to step out of what we know into what we don’t. But try taking that simple step of worshiping in obedience and see the miracles our heavenly father will do for you.
· Peace and Humble repentance:
“If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
~2 Chronicles 7:14
How many experienced perfect peace when they received Jesus, but later find it exploited from their busy lives? Most people talk about trying to live a balanced life; however, there will never be stability in straddling a fence. If you start having one foot in the Kingdom and the other in the world, you will begin to see yourself falling toward the world, you will most definitely lose your footing and begin to stumble. Those who have tried to live by the world as well as trying to live for God, find themselves in the end alienated from Him. Straddling the fence leads to accommodating between God and the World. This is where we struggle to find ourselves and is why repentance becomes vital. Repentance takes away any attempts or any endeavor to wrestle with your flesh, in doubt, guilt, or condemnation from being on the other side of the fence. When we cut away from the world it’s the circumcision of the heart. Your heart begins to become soft toward God bearing the fruits of the Spirit, taking you to a place of peace and humility. Humble repentance brings us where we are no longer self-sustaining, self-contained, self-sufficient, or self-righteous. It leads us to true faith and belief in our Heavenly father.
“For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
~ Hebrews 4:10-11
With our newfound faith comes the desire for others to experience their First Love too. We will begin to look for opportunities to share Jesus with them. Embrace these new opportunities through your faith, it will give you a new hope. In this way it will give you motivation to trust in the Lord and his promises. You will begin to see things in a new light giving you the courage to embrace what you need to face in your new life in Christ.
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